mein Mädchen
/maɪ̯n ˈmɛːtçən/word by word
The German phrase for "my girl" is mein Mädchen.
This phrase is used to refer to one's own daughter or a young girl in one's care. Note that if you are referring to a romantic partner, you should use the word Freundin instead.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the possessive pronoun mein (my) and the noun Mädchen (girl).
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun Mädchen is grammatically neuter despite referring to a female. Consequently, the possessive pronoun mein does not take a feminine ending.
How do you pronounce it?
/maɪ̯n ˈmɛːtçən/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Because Mädchen refers to a female, English speakers often mistakenly use the feminine possessive meine instead of the correct neuter form mein.
Did you know?
- The word Mädchen is a diminutive of Magd, which originally meant 'maid' or 'servant'.
- In German, the diminutive suffix -chen automatically makes any noun neuter, regardless of the biological sex of the person it describes.
- While mein Mädchen is affectionate, using Mädchen to describe an adult woman can be seen as patronizing or infantalizing.
Examples in context
- Du bist jetzt mein Mädchen.You're my girl now.Tatoeba #12560700 by Waldelfe, translation #3737005 by CK
- Er wollte mir mein Mädchen ausspannen.He was trying to take my girl.This sentence uses mein Mädchen to describe someone trying to take a girl.Tatoeba #12568936 by Waldelfe, translation #12391877 by InfinitusPrimus
- Ich möchte dir meine Freundin vorstellen. Sie heißt Lisa.I want to introduce you to my girlfriend. Her name is Lisa.
- Mein Mädel und ich genießen jede Minute zusammen.My girl and I enjoy every minute together.
Example conversation
Maximilian is showing a photo of his daughter to Julia.
- MaximilianSchau mal, das ist mein Mädchen.Look, this is my girl.
- JuliaSie ist wirklich süß!She is really cute!
- MaximilianJa, sie ist sehr aufgeweckt.Yes, she is very alert.
- JuliaWie alt ist sie jetzt?How old is she now?
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (mein, Mädchen) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Mädchen, mein, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
